Anyway, I know you’re going to love this recipe. Simple is an understatement when it comes to preparation and your kids are going to flip over it. I mean…chocolate cereal! Um, YAH! You might want to triple this one.

Chocolate Granola (oil free)

1.5-2 cups quick oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut

¼ cup pure cocoa

½ cup raw honey

½ tsp. pure vanilla

Pinch sea salt

Mix everything together. Spread it out on a pan and bake until done (keep turning it over and stirring it). This took about over an hour on a low oven temperature (150-200 degrees). I prefer to just dehydrate it overnight and not bother about it.

Simple, right?

Pair it with a banana and some Greek yogurt and it’s a perfect breakfast!

A little while ago, through HealthyShopper (awesome site, btw…I love their coupon book!), I was sent a bottle of Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega soft gels to review. There are a few supplements I do take daily and a fish oil supplement is one of them. That being so, I was totally happy to give it a try!

The product: Ultimate Omega®, Nordic Naturals most popular concentrate, offers double strength EPA+DHA for increased omega-3 benefits in fewer soft gels. Perfect high-intensity support for the heart, brain, and the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response. It is ideal for people wanting high intensity, therapeutic support in a smaller serving.

I’m a firm believer that we need our healthy fats. We need more than people think we do. In the last few days I have been amping up my healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, and butter…YES, butter!) and I’ve been feeling fantastic. Little bonus: I also lost about 5 pounds in less than four days! Not joking. (Take note, I also decreased the carbs, nixed sugars, & upped the veggies, fruit, and protein).

I used to be one of those girls who avoided fats at all cost, but now I see healthy fats as important and they take a big place in my diet. In addition to my healthy fats from foods, I take fish oil (currently Nordic Naturals Omega) every morning and evening.

Turns out Grandma really knew what she was talking about when she gave the kids a spoonful of cod liver oil every day!

Why fish oil is important:

Maintaining a healthy nervous system

Good for hair, nails, and skin (why do you think models are always taking fish oil?!)

Maintains a healthy heart and circulatory system

Supports joint flexibility and movement

It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and healthy immune function (protects you from getting sick!)

Proper visual development and achieving optimal growth (important for proper development of children!)

Developing and maintaining gray matter in the brain (includes helping concentration, memory, and understanding for many people)

Maintains balanced blood sugar levels

Supports optimal metabolism and body composition

Promotes positive mood and well-being

Methinks those are some good reasons.

In today’s world, it’s not always easy to take care of ourselves. That’s why I love good quality companies like Nordic Naturals, who provide convenient ways to keep ourselves healthy! What could be simpler than popping a soft-gel…it’s much easier than taking fish oil by a spoon (and easier to down!), which is what I used to do.

And here’s some fun stuff, Nordic Naturals is running a contest called, What’s Essential™ You can enter to win a trip to California and many other amazing prizes! Enter the contest at Nordic Naturals What’s Essential contest The Contest ends on April 30, 2012. You can also find Nordic Naturals on Facebook and Twitter. (Go on FB and like them…I assure you, they are very likeable!)

*I was not paid or given the product in exchange for a positive review. My opinions are all mine.

Have you ever made a terrific recipe out of a mistake? Do you take fish oil? Have you tried Nordic Naturals?

OH man this sounds incredible- like a Bounty for breakfast! I am not sure if I’ve told you before but I absolutely love the layout of your blog- the recipe written on the note card is a super cute touch :)!

[...] ratio with the yogurt – probably a cup or so of each). The night before I made a batch of chocolate granola (using the greater amount of oats and less sweetener), which I sprinkled on top of the yogurt [...]